Day 1
On my way to Château Orquevaux
Right now, I’m sitting on a train, watching the French countryside roll past in a blur of green fields and quiet villages. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this kind of green in Australia, with field after field an intense emerald green that takes your breath away. Spring is about to merge into summer and trees are laden with lime green leaves and pink buds. Absolutely beautiful!
I’m finally on my way to Château Orquevaux, a small village in the Champagne Ardenne region, where I’ll spend the next two weeks as Artist in Residence.
I’ve had two weeks to get used to being in France. My husband and I landed in Paris, a little bleary-eyed after the long flight from Australia. We didn’t rush this first real holiday in six years. We took our time, let the jet lag wear off, and wandered slowly through the Loire Valley—eating goat cheese and strawberries from markets (with the obligatory baguette, of course!), walking through exquisite gardens, and staying in the historic Château des Arpentis in Amboise.
It was exactly the kind of soft landing I needed. A chance to breathe, reset, and let my artist brain wake up.
Now, I’m heading off on my own. My husband has headed home, and I’ve packed my canvas, sketchbooks, and a few too many tubes of oil paint. It feels both exciting and slightly surreal. The kind of thing you talk about for months and then suddenly—it’s here.
I’m so excited to start painting. I had so many ideas for possible projects before I left but really wanted to respond to this place itself and let the surrounding tell me what needed to be made. And it has. Visits to the gardens at Giverny, Chedigny, Châteaux d’Amboise, Chenonceau and Chaumont-sur-Loire have provided all the inspiration I needed and now all I want to do is paint.
So here I am. Rolling through Champagne country with a sketchbook in my bag and paint on my shoes. Day one. A fresh page.
Thanks for coming along with me. Feel free to leave a comment - I’d love to hear from you. If you’d like to see my work and find out a little more about me and my process, please explore my website. Better still, why not subscribe to my newsletter? My VIP subscribers are the first to see new work, and have access to competitions, giveaways and events.
Until tomorrow…
Robyn xx
